The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Department of Security Service (DSS) and soldiers have been put on the red alert as the deadline for the restoration of democratic rule in Niger Republic ended on Sunday.
Findings by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that the security on the Nigerian borders with Niger Republic has been intensified.
Immigration officials, DSS personnel and Nigerian Customs Service have been mandated to stop Nigerien citizens from crossing over to Nigeria through official or unofficial borders.
On the other hand, Nigerians were not allowed to cross over into Niger Republic through the Kamba border in Kebbi State, llela border in Sokoto, Jibiya, Maradi, Zango, Mai’Adua as well as Kaita borders in Katsina State. Other borders affected included Gurbin Bore, in Zamfara and Babura, Maigari in Jigawa State.
Speaking on the development, the Immigration Comptroller in charge of Special Border Command, Mustapha Sani, in an interview, stated: “Nigerians should stay at home and not attempt to go to the Niger Republic until the embargo is lifted, “adding that “we are determined to return any Nigerian citizen planning to come back to his country.”
According to him, “we have already put our officers on alert and we have already deployed some to man the orthodox routes through which some of the foreigners use to enter into Nigeria and from what we have on the ground, we know it will be impossible for them to enter into Nigeria. We have also already stationed our officers at strategic places for stop and search as usual.
Sani explained that since the special border command received a signal that all borders with the Niger Republic should remain closed, officers of the command have been active in enforcing the sanction.
In Zamfara State, tight security had been mounted in Gurbin Bore village in Zurmi Local Government Area of the state to check illegal migrants from Niger Republic into the country.
In a chat with the Nigerian Tribune, an indigene of Gurbin Bore town, Mallam Abdullahi Mohammed, said few weeks after the coup in Niger Republic, normal business transaction has dropped drastically in the area.
He further hinted that, though Gurbin Bore is not close to the Niger border, it is a few kilometres to Jibiya in Katsina State that has borderland with Niger and whatever affects Jibiya has affected residents of Gurbin Bore.
Similarly, in an interview with journalists, the state Comptroller of NIS, Ibrahim Dauda Sabimoro, posited that the primary responsibility of immigration is to check the influx of migrants in the country, stressing that security has been beefed up at the border to checkmate influx into the country through Niger border.
Also, in Sokoto, at Illela border community, residents were apprehensive over the ultimatum given by President Bola Tinubu-led Economic of West African States (ECOWAS), which ended on Sunday.
Some of the residents of the community who spoke with Nigerian Tribune on telephone, appealed to the Federal Government to rescind its decision of using military option to resolve political instability in Niger Republic.
Nuhu Ibrahim, a motorcyclist in Illela, said any attack on Niger Republic would have negative effects on the people of Illela community, which he said, will be a soft target for the people of Niger Republic.
He added: “We are still appealing to President Bola Tinubu to have a rethink over his plan to invade Niger Republic through ECOWAS troops, because our people will suffer for it if the president goes ahead with the military action.”
Also speaking, Abubakar Bello, who sells foodstuffs in Illela, said most of his colleagues could not open their shops today due to fear of being attacked, expressing fear that “even if Niger Republic army didn’t attack the community, some hoodlums may take the advantage of what is happening to attack us, so we are being careful.”
In Jigawa, reports from the areas indicated that almost all business activities had been put on hold in fear of collateral damage that may be borne out of military action.
Findings by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that movement and activities at the Maigatari-Niger border of Jigawa State had been stopped, while the number of soldiers and other security personnel had increased at Maigatari and Babura borders gates.
Meanwhile, seeming hostilities have begun between Nigerian and Nigerien soldiers constituting Multinational Joint Task Force in the neighbouring town of Malam Fatori, bordering Marte Local Government Area of Borno State, Nigeria and Bosso town in Niger Republic, in the Lake Chad region.
Following the ECOWAS sanctions on Niger and the declaration of potential military action by ECOWAS, Nigerian soldiers have been denied access to Bosso town where they usually go to source items for their daily lives and basic provisions.
“Commercial activities between the two countries have been suspended, while no individual is allowed entry into Diffa or Bosso from Nigeria,” said Ali Liman, a Nigerian who resides in Diffa.
He averred: “The price of commodities is also increasing because most of the goods that we are using here came from Nigeria. One litre of fuel is more than N1,000, one maggie cube is now N30 and we are not supporting military operations in Niger.”
Musa Saminu, a commercial motorcyclist in Diffa stated: “There is no light, no electricity because Nigeria cuts off the power supply, no fuel and everything is very expensive, including food items.”
In Kebbi State, vehicular movements were restricted along the major routes leading to Niger Republic from the fringes, but the movement of people of these areas was unhindered.
In a related development, a peace and conflict studies expert, Professor Isaac Albert, has cautioned President Tinubu against embarking on a military action against Niger Republic over the overthrow of the civilian government in the country.
Albert, who is from the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday that the action might be more dangerous, capable of leading to the springing up of more terrorist groups.
He maintained that “Tinubu should seek the advice of security experts before leading ECOWAS on invading Niger, especially due to Nigeria’s current internal security challenge.”
According to Albert, “attacking Niger at this point in time is not the best option because it may give rise to more terrorist groups to connive and attack Nigeria.
“Yes, Nigeria and ECOWAS may be able to defeat Niger in the short run, but Nigeria may have Boko Haram, Russia-backed Wagner and other terrorist organisations to contend with in the long run. We must not forget that Nigerian army is substantially helping Nigeria to curtail the activities of Boko Haram along its border.
“What Nigeria and ECOWAS should do is simply to explore diplomatic option. They should rather have a meeting with the Nigerien military junta on when they hope to leave and possibly pressurise them into organising elections within the next six months. It will take them more time on the battle field than diplomatically resolving the matter,” he advised.
In his own submission, a professor of Comparative Politics, Gbade Ojo, said bad governance on the part of civilian leaders brought about recent military take-over in some African countries.
